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[NAFEX] Cold hardy asian pears

From: "Ed Forest" <edforest55@hotmail.com>
To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: [NAFEX] Cold hardy asian pears
Date: Thu, 11 Nov 2004 01:10:04 +0000

I have fruited Hosui, Shinseiki, and Chojuro in zone 4/5. Chojuro is a bit better than the others but doesn't reach full maturity most years. When the first medium frosts come Asian pears are easily damaged, more so than apples or Euro pears which can take lower temps without loss of quality to the fruits.
Therefore I have chosen Asian pears with ripening date a priority, the earliest to ripen are Hosui, Shinseiki, Shinsui, Kosui, and a couple others. Two of the more hardy are Japanese Golden Russet and Yakumo according to my records,(info from old Pomonas if I recall, or from Brian Perason) but I haven't fruited them yet, and don't know if they are early ripening. I have an unknown variety that has survived about 6 years in zone 3 northern WI on Pyrus ussuriensis, topgrafted. It suffers some branch damage but we haven't had a test winter since I planted it. I noticed that the fruit buds seem to die whereas the leaf buds don't. So I suspect that in zone 3 I may get a crop rarely if ever. I have a list comparing ripening dates and sugar content of the earliest ripeners, I seem to recall this info came from Ed Fackler. I'll post if if I come across it.
Brian Pearson who lives in Marinette or Menominee?, Wisconsin has tried many many Asian pears, I fruited the one that he considered the most reliable this year and it was very good.
The best Asian pear I have tasted is leaps and bounds better than any I have tested, so sweet, and a little aromatic, but I lost the tag and don't know its true ID. It was uphill from the rest of my pears and was not damaged by frosts that absolutely ravaged the other A. pear fruits, either becasue it was uphill (or perhaps the variety produces fruits that are higher in sugar and so therefore can resist the frost). As far as I know it could be just a common variety and differs from my other varieities only becasue it can ripen its fruits longer due to its higher elevation. (only about 5 ft higher but about 50 yards west of the rest of the A pear orchard).
Later
Kevin B
BTW I sometimes get the subject line wrong in my posts becasue I ahve to try to remember what it is since I have to close the archives and go to my hotmial account whenever I want to post a message which takes a long time, and so I don't always recall the exact subject line. If anyone can telll me why I can't post directly from the archives do tell.

<html><DIV>Kevin Bradley </DIV></html>

[NAFEX] Cold hardy asian pears, Ed Forest, 11/10/2004